scientific skills

Question 1

systematic error

Answer 1

a consistent error which causes measured values to be skewed by a consistent amount every time -> affects accuracy eg. uncalibrated equip, parallax error

Question 2

how to manage systematic errors

Answer 2

-measuring apparatus used should be calibrated prior to experiment
-change the experiment eg. using a quality primary standard

Question 3

random error

Answer 3

-unpredictable variations resulting in a spread of measurements
-differs in amount/proportion each time bc ‘one-off’ error
-affect precision
-eg. subjective judgements made/estimate measurement that falls between lines of burette

Question 4

how to manage random errors

Answer 4

effect minimised by repeating measurements multiple times -> increased reliability, and calculate average of the results obtained, omit outliers

Question 5

reliability

Answer 5

refers to whether or not consistent results can be achieved when conducting the same experiment under varying conditions

improved by repeating experiment + averaging results